Dozens evacuated after ferry fire off Istanbul coast April 2, 2013 - 19:30 AMT PanARMENIAN.Net - Dozens of passengers were evacuated from a tourist ferry off the coast of Istanbul on Tuesday, April 2 after a fire started on the vessel, but there were no immediate reports of serious injuries, Reuters said. Turkish television showed smoke pouring from the back of the vessel, several hundred meters (yards) from the shore, as two other ferries drew up to rescue the stranded passengers. The cause of the fire was unknown. State-run news channel TRT said all passengers were safely evacuated from the ferry, which was travelling between Istanbul and the popular Princes' Islands in the Sea of Marmara. It said some were taken to hospital after inhaling smoke.   Top stories Authorities said a total of 192 Azerbaijani troops were killed and 511 were wounded during Azerbaijan’s offensive. In 2023, the Azerbaijani government will increase the country’s defense budget by more than 1.1 billion manats ($650 million). The bill, published on Monday, is designed to "eliminate the shortcomings of an unreasonably broad interpretation of the key concept of "compatriot". The earthquake caused a temporary blackout, damaged many buildings and closed a number of rural roads.   Partner news |  Latest news Cyprus parliament honors Armenian genocide victims  Acting House President Zacharias Koulias noted that April 24 marks the “black anniversary” of the Armenian genocide.Armenia PM, France envoy discuss regional matters Issues related to the consistent development of Armenia-France cooperation were discussed.Azerbaijan razes historic Armenian church to ground Azerbaijan has demolished the historic Armenian Church of St. John the Baptist (known as Kanach Zham).Russia to begin assessing migrant workers' speaking skills Rosobrnadzor is planning to change the Russian language exam for migrant workers and include an assessment of speaking skills |
